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Thursday, 16 October 2014

GOVERNOR TO DITCH URP FOR ODM?

The
Council of Governors chairman Isaac Ruto has hinted that he may ditch URP for
another party in the next general election. While criticizing Deputy President
William Ruto's United Republican Party, the Bomet Governor said the expulsion
threats will not scare him to abandon his push for an increase of allocation to
the counties.

He
said parties are outfits which can be changed anytime and that he does not owe
his allegiance to a political party but his electorate. "It is like any
other outfit which can be changed at any time. By the way I have never used a
similar party to be elected into office since I came into politics and I can
change it as well come 2017," Ruto said.

Ruto
in the strongest hint that URP may not be his party of choice if the current
impasse over pesa mashinani referendum impasse continues and the party makes
good its threat to expel members who are not towing the line, the vocal
Governor said he can switch to another party. "It was not a must that I
use the same party to run for office and I can change and use any other party
because the interest is service delivery and not those of parties," said
Ruto.

"When
I was elected as an MP in 1997, I was a KANU member and in 2007 I was elected
on an ODM ticket and now as a governor I am on URP ticket and who knows which
party I will use to run in 2017?" he said. Ruto said party politics will
not stop him from pushing for an increase of allocation to the counties through
a referendum claiming the threats from URP was aimed at coercing him to
abandon. "We do not want to be threatened every now and then.

We
are not talking about elections now but ways on how to make services to our
people stronger. When that time comes we are ready to battle it out with our
friends and it must not necessarily be URP and everyone knows I have never run
for my position in the same party." Rutto was speaking at Siongiroi Ward
in Chepalungu during the launch of a multipurpose cooperative society on Tuesday
"It should be made clear to Kenyans that for a long time funds have been
centralised at the national level but the services remained poor as compared to
when counties came in place. This is the reason we want more funds to the
counties," he said. Rutto said he will not quit the Pesa Mashinani
campaigns even if fellow governors pull out.

"The
leaders opposing the Pesa Mashinani drive are well-off and not concerned about
the welfare of Kenyans who he said are suffering as a result of poor social
amenities," he said. The Bomet governor said Sh80 billion meant for roads
in the counties, water and health care is still at the national government.
"We wonder why they are holding billions of shillings, meant to spur
economic growth in counties. We are facing challenges in our quest to render
these services because each and every other time they keep returning some
functions and reducing the funding to key sectors," Ruto said.